Lamp-reflector



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. F. POTTER.

LAMP REFLECTOR.

No. 323,530. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

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Patented Aug. 4

jnpeniar: fleewifpaw UNITED STATES PATnNT rice.

MERRITT F. POTTER, OF IIINOKLEY, ILLINOIS.

LAM P-REFLECTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,530, dated August4:, 1885.

Application filed August 18, 1853. (No morlcLl To all whont it mayconcern/.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT F. POTTER, a citizen of the United- States,residing at I'Iinckley, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Reflectors;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to supports for lamp reflectors, having for itsobject the ready adjustment of the reflector at any desired angle; andit consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

I use the ordinary concave-convex silveredglass reflector. Projectingfrom the center of the convex side is a metallic attachment, preferablyabout one inch in length and diameter.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts,Figure 1 is a side elevation with my support in position for use. Fig. 2is a detail front View showing my chimney guard or protector, whichusually acts as an auxiliary support for the reflector, as will behereinafter explained. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower portion of mysupport, cmbracing the collar of a lamp, which is partly broken awa t toshow a groove therein. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the chimney,showing the point of contact of the chimney and guard. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the chimney and a vertical sectional view of the reflector,reflector guard, hinge, joint, and thumb-screw, showing the reflectorleaning against the chimney, the guard between them; and Fig. 6 is aplan View of the lamp, collar, and spring, the latter touching theformer at three difierent points.

In carrying out my invention I use the support A, which is provided withelastic curved arms A, having points a adapted to slide in a groove in alamp-collar. These curved arms are made tapering from their points totheir support A, said points being bent abruptly inward toward thecollar. By tapering the arms I add much to their durability and elas--collar, which is very desirable.

ticity, make the spring more flexible near the point, more equallydistribute the strain along the spring, and much less at the center. Itis difficult to make any ordinary clamp or spring of sheet metal or wirekeep its place upon the collar by frictional contact thereon, since thecollars of nearly all lamps are made tapering from the bottom upward. Aclasp which maintains its place on the collar by frictional contactwould not freely rotate around the I do not solely rely upon frictionalcontact to hold the arms A in place, but make them so as to touch thecollar in three places, (see Fig. 6,) to wit, at their junction with theupright support A. and at each extremity where their terminal points areturned abruptly inward and are fitted in a groove in the collar, fromwhich the weight of the reflector or any other ordinary force will bepowerless to displace them, while they are free to rotate around theburner. In case there is no groove in the collar a small one can bereadily cut.

To the upper end of the support A is rigidly secured a sleeve, 13, inwhich the upper support slides, and is held by frictional contact,whereby the elevation of the reflector can be changed. A thumb-screw canbe employed where a loose fit is desired. The upper end of the support Bis hinged to and beneath the drum 0, close to the reflector. The hingedjoint is intended to be loose at all times, and the reflector inclinesby its own weight (unless supported otherwise) to ward the chimney untilits upper edge rests upon and is partially supported by the chimney.(See Fig. 5.) This is the position of the reflector in common useviz,resting unbalanced on the hinged upright 13 and leaning its upper edgeagainst the chimney for support. To render the support practical, and toprotect the chimney and reflector from fracture by sudden contact, Iattach to the upper edge thereof a wire shield, of, which is about threeinches long and will keep the reflector and chimney from direct contact,leaving a small space between them for circulation of air, and while thereflector is in contact with the extremity of the shield the chimneytouches it only in the center, thus making the points of contact betweenthe reflector and shield an inch or more apart, see

Fig. 4, thus avoiding all possibility of breaking either. Thussupported, the reflector is held more within the base of the lamp, andkeeps its place against the chimney (the guard intervening) much. moresteady than if rigidly attached to the support The light may be thrownto a higher or lower point, or the reflector moved away from thechimney, by means of the thumb-screw 0* in the support 13 By thisarrangement the slightest turn of the thumb-screw forward will visiblymove the top of the reflector backward, and a reverse motion will bringit forward by force of gravity alone. The advantage of this constructionover a set-screw, which holds by frictional contact, and requires to beloosened and tightened with every changing inclination of the reflector,must be obvious.

To protect the glass from the point of the thumb-screw, I attach africtionplate, a suspended from the hinge-joint above.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

'1. A divided support for lamp-reflectors, one part thereof hinged tothe reflector, and having a thumb-screw, and the other part joined to itby a sleeve at its upper end, the lower end thereof adapted to besecured to the collar of the lamp, in the manner set forth.

2. The guard a attached to a lamp-reflector and adapted to support it bybearing against the side of the chimney. a portion of the guard being atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the chimney, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The protection-plate a", arranged between the end of the thumb-screwand the reflector as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The curved spring-arms A, having their terminal points bent inwardly,in combination with the collar of a lamp having a groove, as set forth.

5. In combination with a lamp and lamp reflector support, the taperingspring-arms A, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The curved, elastic, and tapering springarms A of a lamp-reflectorsupport, adapted to be combined with the guide-groove of a lamp-collar,and having but three points of contact therewith-to wit, at the centerand at each extremity thereofwhereby friction between the spring andcollar is reduced, as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of the reflector-support 13 having the fixed nut andscrew 0" working through the same, with the reflector hinged to thesupport and bearing against the screw, but unattached thereto,substantially as described.

8. The combination of the reflector, the hinged support 13 thethumb-screw G the chimney and reflector guard, whereby when thethumb-screw is turned back and wholly withdrawn from contact with thereflector the latter will move toward the chimney until thereflector-guard comes in contact with the-chimney, as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRITT F. POTTER.

Vitnesses:

F. L. Wmsrow, J NO. T.

